The Best Beard Trimmers to Keep Your Scruff Looking Sharp

A good beard trimmer has to be, above all else, easy to use. And relatively quick to clean. And it has to be sharp. Okay, so there are a lot of boxes to check. But which one do you get? Don't worry, GQ's Best Stuff has you covered.

Growing and maintaining a beard is a lot like managing the hair atop your head. It needs sculpting, trimming, and nourishing to stay healthy and stylish. (Yes, there is such a thing as beard styling.) The most important purchase you can make, then, is a good trimmer, for snipping strays, maintaining a consistent length, detailing the perimeter, and nixing the neckline. The best beard trimmers will round every beard-care base and keep you from looking prehistoric.

Here are our favorites. No two are identical though, because no two guys have the same needs. Some of these trimmers can do it all—though they may be more expensive for guys on a budget. Other trimmers on the list specialize in the finer things, like maintaining perfect stubble—or the daily removal of that stubble. (Yes, we’ve included some electric shavers on this list as well, since a lack of a beard is an intentional beard style—just like being bald is a hair style in and of itself).

If you’re serious about your scruff, you should own more than one. That’s because some specialize in detailing or are especially travel friendly, while others are better for your at-home, routine maintenance. The good news is that it’s a worthwhile investment if you want it to be, since the expensive ones offer warranties and the cheap ones can be replaced with little remorse. And in both cases, there is no compromise to your facial flair.

Here are the best beard trimmers for every beard and budget.

The Best Overall Beard Trimmer

Philips Norelco Series 7200 beard trimmer with vacuum

Beard trimming can be messy. You get clippings in your beard, on your hands, in your sink. This trimmer, however, keeps the process clean while also keeping your beard tidy and shapely. The vacuum head sucks up 90 percent of the hairs that fall from your face, and is easy to empty afterwards. The head also adjusts to lengths as short as .5mm if you want to shear it all off (crank it to 1mm for perma-scruff) and it goes all the way to 10mm if you want to maintain a fuller length. Swap in the precision trimmer for side burns or A+ facial-hair shaping.

Your Favorite Barber's Favorite Beard Trimmer

Andis Professional T-Outliner beard and hair trimmer

Ask any barber for his or her favorite beard trimmer, and it's bound to be Andis. That's because barbers take pride in the details, and Andis gives them some serious hedge-trimming power. If you like straight or clean lines along your beard and mustache, just use this stainless-steel T-trimmer, or shift up the guard for longer maintenance.

The Best Toss-in-Your-Gym-Bag Beard Trimmer

Braun MGK3060 beard trimmer

The true all-in-one kit and device, Braun's low-cost, high-qual device can do far more than trim your beard. Swap in the nose and ear trimmer, the precision head, or the longer guards for general upkeep. It's the perfect, lightweight device to tote in your gym bag or travel dopp, offering up to 13 lengths on a 60-minute charge.

The Best Budget Beard Trimmer

Gillette Styler

There’s no shame in not wanting to buy an expensive beard trimmer. In fact, I’d recommend you start with smaller investment, in case you’re unsure of how long you’ll be displaying your ferocious face fur. For this, Gillette has answered the call: its reliable, all-in-one detailer can trim to four different lengths, or you can swap in a Fusion5 blade for a skin-tight shave (perfect for those neck and cheek trims). The waterproof device is the best bargain of the bunch. You may not need to upgrade to the other three after all.

The Best Beard Trimmer for Precision Detailing

Wahl Micro Groomsman personal trimmer

This little pen isn't so much a beard trimmer as it is a detailer: It snips those strays, cleans up the perimeter of your beard lines, and even snips away at stray eyebrows and nose hairs. For just nine bucks, there's no reason you should have it in your dopp kit, then put it to use every few mornings to stay on top of the finer details.

The Best Beard Trimmer for Line Ups

Bevel Trimmer with square blade

Bevel's ergo-dynamic trimmer took home the GQ Grooming Award for Best Trimmer a couple years back, and it's still in the top tier. It'll give you a clean, barber-caliber line-up along the cheeks, burns, mustache, and neck. It's your go-to device for neckline cleanups too: Steady-handed significant other or best friend not included.

The Best Beard Trimmer for Keeping Body Hair in Check

Panasonic ER-SB40-K trimmer

We called it the best beard trimmer for your body too, since Panasonic’s trimmer has 19 different settings and cuts at a whopping 9,800 cuts per minute. (Take that, pubes!) While its wide-tooth head might be less than ideal for your balls, it is especially equipped for chest, groin, and back hair, and of course for your coarse whiskers, too.

The Best Minimalist Beard Trimmer

Andis Styliner Shave ‘N Trim

For 15 bucks, you can get the barbershop-favorite Andis’ on-the-go trimmer. It’s an easy fit for short stubble or a skin-tight shave, and does so without frills. It’s got one adjustable head, cleaning brushes and solution, and it takes two AA batteries to get the task done. It you’re low maintenance and aren’t shaving or trimming every other day, or if you need a backup trimmer that’s easier to tote (and every bit as reliable as the costlier ones), then keep Andis in the bullpen.

The Best Overall Electric Shaver

Philips Norelco 9700 electric shaver

The Best Travel-Friendly Shaver

Panasonic Travel Shaver

Panasonic's travel shaver is perfect for when you need a quick neck trim at home or on the go. It hits all the angles with its no-frills, single-blade head. It’s easy to clean (and waterproof in the process), it’s the smallest of the bunch (it runs on AA batteries). Regardless of which main trimmer you choose, you should have an emergencies-only, low-cost shaver on hand. It’s the easiest to transport, the least expensive, and reliable for touch ups and full shaves alike.

The Best Value Electric Shaver

Braun Proskin Series 3 ProSkin 3040s electric shaver

It’s hard to find an affordable, reliable electric shaver, since they typically cost $200 or more. Braun’s ProSkin Series 3 shaver hits the right cross section of inexpensive and high quality, though: It’s got a triple-action cutter beneath its two smooth foil heads, with a middle trimmer to help ensure a close, even shave. Shave wet or dry—with shave cream or without, in the shower or out. The one catch is that it takes batteries, whereas the costlier picks are rechargeable. Just use the included rechargeable batteries; that’s essentially the same, isn’t it?